


after wave

by kanalaneoh



Category: thehillsrp
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-19 16:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanalaneoh/pseuds/kanalaneoh
Summary: the post apocalyptic world is full of challenges and threats. sometimes human emotions still thrive in it's after wave. for lane, this is something she's learning to cope with. but it's only about to get more difficult when new threats are filtering their way into general knowledge.





	1. Chapter 1

it wasn't the worst idea she'd led herself into, at least that’s what she told herself as she made her way up the rickety porch steps that were supposed to pass for a front door. trust her to find the most rotting corpse of a building to scout out. everything was on edge with lane right now. her senses were heightened, her wits were about her, even her mind was racing at an elevated speed. her breath was even as she reached the top, glancing over her shoulder at the land around the house that sufficed as it's yard. metres of , now dead, grass. with no one to tend to it any longer, it had just, given up. her attire practically screamed don't talk to me, probably even gave off the "don't come near me" vibe too. but that had been intentional. it wasn't so much a look these days, as it was a necessity. the knife strapped to her left thigh which she had her hand on as a precaution, another hidden in her right boot. the third one that was slung across her back, more of a sword than a knife, but equally as efficient. her eyes wandered over the state of the front door. she contemplated knocking. then again what use would that do, apart from bringing them out quicker. flexing her fingers she took a deep breath before reaching out and twisting the rusted door handle and pushing it ajar. the dark, slightly damp air hit her and she grimaced as she stepped carefully inside. a thought struck her and a light laugh escaped her as she realised the irony of it. couldn't the place look a little less.....dead?

her cautious steps took her past the threshold of the doorway and she closed it behind her once more. better to have one direction safe from oncomers. part of her screamed to keep it open , illuminating the hallway, but she couldn't take the chance of any walkers making their way through it while her concentration was on what was before her. turning back to the now pitch black scene before her, she rummaged in her pocket for the torch she'd brought with her. continuing her start into the house her eyes swept the place for signs of any of the non-living here.  
keeping the torch held out before her, she carried on, the idea of getting this over with as soon as possible all she cared about. scope out the rooms, make sure there was no threat, empty the house of anything that could be used back with the group, and get out of there. easy. calming her nerves with a little easy breathing she bit her lip, this was insanity. she'd vowed to stay away from this kind of shit, and now look at her. the others would flay her alive for coming out here alone, but they were getting desperate these days and lane couldn't wait any longer for anyone else to get their shit together. her whole body itched with anticipation. it'd been a while since she'd last got the chance to do this. on her own. she'd never imagined he'd appear around here. no sounds came from the ancient rooms, not even a whistle from the wind that was lazily moving about outside. a smirk teased it's way onto her lips as she circled back towards the staircase. so far, so good.

she was climbing the old rotten steps, being careful where she stood. it might take extra long to get anywhere but she wasn't about to risk her life on a dodgy step just to get up them quicker. the way they were almost groaning beneath each footstep suggested they were ready to cave in at just the wrong moment. as she reached the top of the staircase she paused in her advance, there hanging down as casually as ever from a square hole into the attic was a ladder. metal rungs and odd pieces of rust hanging from it, the thing looked like it had been through the ringer. and yet, she couldn't place why it would be down at a time like this. not trusting it to hold anything good, she inched around it, and carried on down the hallway. but all she met was more empty rooms, and deserted items that once belonged to someone. there was only one place left to scour. and that was up.  
gripping the bars lightly, making sure to keep the light out ahead of her at the same time, lane carefully began her ascent. as she finally reached the top, in one swift movement she was up and standing vertically again, ready to face whatever lurked in the shadows of the attic. but only darkness met her, surrounding the outside of the torches circle. it was relief that washed through her as she shook her head. this was insane. this was a lucky escape. this was easy. this was a bad idea.

sinking to the wooden floor, she let the torch rest on the floor. the number one rule of survival out here was never going it alone. never taking risks like this. she'd managed to keep to that rule ever since what had once been her home and here she was breaking it now. there was no real reckoning behind why. lane had always just.....wandered. curiosity was ingrained in her blood somehow. leaning her head back against one of the beams running through the room, she let her mind do what her body had already done. she'd kept that rule until now. she'd survived. it was funny how that was daily life now. she'd barely had a moment to think about anything else. in the past couple of years, this was the only life she'd known. keep going, keep moving, stay alive. she had no family. it was a touchy subject for her. many times she had wondered if she did meet her maker, and passed on, would they be waiting on the other side with anger on the brows. 'you couldn't even take the time to bury us?' she could almost hear her mother's voice beside her. no, there had been no time. there had been no funerals. no mourning. barely even time for grief. just a growing realisation that she was on her own, and needed to get out. staying put in a town that was desolate of food and supplies, and becoming more and more occupied with those that were out for blood, was a death sentence in itself. so she'd hijacked a car on the outskirts and belted it south. it was the only option. north was more snow, more ice, less chance of walkers sure, but nothing for those that needed food and shelter and warmth. so south it had been.

she'd made it a good couple of miles, over thirty, before meeting anyone. that's where the first four members of her current group had bumped into her, and decided to take her under their wing. they were heading west. apparently that was the hotspot for the living to make for. by some broadcast, or rumour more likely, something there was worth risking everything to make for. what it could be, was beyond her. a safe zone? military base? a way out? anything seemed likely, albeit not exactly possible. so she'd let herself join in. be swept further south. and so the little close knit, well as close as was possible for a significant bunch of people, that she was part of had been formed. and now she was here. in the middle of nowhere outside some place called eton. she'd left camp base to come here. another rule broken, leaving them without telling them where she was. but lane was restless when left without something to do for so long. and sitting in camp while the others argued over who did runs and when, and who's eaten the last damn can of peaches, etc, while reminiscing over how much she missed wine and getting to sleep in an actual bed, she'd gotten tired. and said to hell with it.

rummaging in the rucksack she'd brought with her, lane pulled a book from somewhere inside. a small commodity in a world like this, but a small comfort too. escaping this hell for the world inside, was only a little help, but you took what you got. fingers flicking to the previously marked page, chapter five if she wasn't mistaken, and settled in for a while. might as well make the most of the little peace she'd discovered right here. engrossing herself in the world inside the pages.

....tick...tick....tick, tick......tick.....

it was like someone had dripped ice water down her back, exceptionally slow.

the book forgotten in her hand, had it been hours? minutes? since she'd begun reading it? she didn't know. couldn't tell. but the ever so faint sound of someone, something, advancing in the house below her, was all she could hear now. a wild mix of adrenaline and fear began to pulse through her veins. moving into a crouch and killing the torch's light, her eyes were now calculating the distance between her position and the open square of light that poured in from the open attic door. if she dared to cross towards it, she risked making noise. not the worst mistake if it was the undead. very big mistake if it was the living. yet she was open to foul play regardless. trapped like a mouse in a cage. there was no other way out except that ladder, and there was no denying, if it was another human down there, they'd investigate just like she had. lane had a decision to make.

she double and triple checked all her knives were secure and ready to be grabbed at any moment and reattached the rucksack to her back. sliding along the wooden floors, almost like a cat in the precise movements so as not to alert anyone, she came to a halt next to the ladders opening. peering down into the evening lit hallway, there was nothing to immediately suggest danger. but she knew better than to take things at face value like that. especially when she was so far away from any sort of help. why'd she come so far? her own curiosity has gotten the better of her.

gathering her thoughts, lane unravelled the scarf around her neck. silently praying this went well. she wasn't in the mood to fight anyone right now. lowering the end of the scarf over the edge of the opening, she dropped it a couple of inches, holding steady to the other end. if there was anyone down there, they'd surely notice it and try and pull on it or worse. nerves bouncing, nothing happened. sliding the scarf down a little lower, she could almost hear her heart right next to her ears. the thumping almost distracting. nothing happened. maybe she'd imagined it. but there was no room for making the mistake of assuming so. daring a little more, lane edged closer to the gap in the floor and slowly pushed her head down. eyes scanning as she moved, the hallway was empty in both directions. all was clear. she didn't let the sigh of relief that wanted to leave, get out.

sitting back up inside the attic she let herself catch a breath. upstairs might be clear but it didn't mean outside was. a growing pit in her stomach, was telling lane that it was time to get back to camp. assessing that everything on her was secure, she let herself onto the ladder carefully. still trying to remain as silent as she could be. and began to descend. she nodded to herself as her feet landed on the floor.

lane drew her eyes from the ladder, turning to make her way towards the stairs, only to find them looking into a pair of dark eyes. eyes belonging to the man who was now leaning casually against the wall. there was a spark in them that told her she was in deep trouble now. he was only slightly taller than her, then again, he was leaning slightly, he could have an extra inch or two. something about him reminded her of a sprite or pixie of sorts. too many fairy tales, she told herself. as they seemed to stare each other down, lane flinched when his lips curled into a smirk and he spoke suddenly, calling out to the house so it seemed.

"yo boys! looks like we got a lost one."

she didn't understand the words, but as the sound of more bodies began to echo through the house in response to his words, lane felt that chill down her neck again.

shit


	2. Chapter 2

there were four of them altogether. she was outnumbered and that was putting it lightly. they’d seemed to pour from every crevice in the rotten old building after he’d called. appearing out of shadows and doorways and taking up position in a misshapen circle around her. closing off her exit strategies, she’d been adding up exactly how many she might have as they’d approached. damn her ability to get lost in the pages. none of this would have happened of course if she had just stayed back at camp like she’d been told to. getting herself into this mess was all on her, she had no one else to blame for it. now she had to stomach what became of it. she was just silently praying to gods she didn’t believe in, that it was not going to end with a bullet in her head, or a knife in her stomach. however as her eyes flitted between the different faces that surrounded her, lane wasn’t sure she could really rest a lot of belief in that hope. it seemed to be a fruitless venture. her hands at her sides itched to pull out her knives. to sink one right into, the pixie looking ones, neck.

he was just staring at her, but his gaze held amusement within it and that irked her. he didn’t even say anything more. just stood there, observing her like she was some unusual animal. not that she’d blame him. out here in the world they lived in now, other humans were something of a mystery. all this skepticism and distrust that flowed between all of them. it was the new natural order. to survive was to be cautious. to be cautious was to not trust those you didn’t know like the back of your hand. a flicker of movement to her right gained her attention. one of the others was moving. he was tall, at least six foot. all structured cheekbones and serious eyes. she would have called him handsome if she didn’t already hold a grudge against him. her own eyes narrowed at him as he passed by her. too close for her liking. he made his way towards the pixie like one, leaning one slender arm over their shoulder. 

“now how on earth did you find this one?” he smirked.

the smaller of the two still made no move to speak. only shrugged the shoulder the other had their arm on gently. 

lane was seething. 

another figure moved in her peripheral vision. the other tall one was now laughing gently where they were leaning against the wall. he looked, almost soft. it was hard to believe someone who looked like he did ran in the same circles as the other two. then again, her focus had not extended to the rest just yet. maybe that was his weapon. look innocent, play lethal. even when he spoke, he didn’t lose that less threatening look. his lips were curved into a slight smile. 

“you two look like wild things who haven’t eaten in weeks. you’re probably scaring her.” 

one of the two statements he made, rang true. they did look almost wild. they did not, however, scare her. even with her doubts, lane was steadfast enough that she’d left her fear behind with the deaths of her family. she would not regain it for this measly bunch. 

“if she’s scared of us then she’s not worth shit, is she” came the reply from the one with the cheekbones. 

“such a vulgar mouth, must you always make a show of us?” the voice came from the remaining member she hadn’t quite paid attention to yet. he wasn’t anywhere near as tall as the two whose conversation he butt into. lane couldn’t quite place where he fit on the spectrum of intimidating or no. her first glance told her he looked amiable enough. but the stare he returned her with, well, there was something cold in it, she wasn’t sure she’d ever look back at him again. he was a conundrum in human form. 

“az, you care too much about formalities that no longer need worry you” snorted back the serious one. 

so she had one name. one name to put with that cold stare. it wasn’t much but it was a start. clearly they didn’t care much for remaining anonymous or that slip would have not gone unchecked like had just now. her gaze flickered back to the first one she’d been greeted by. her eyes narrowing as it did so. she was fed up of watching this back and forth match they had going on. she didn’t understand it and she certainly didn’t care for it. she wanted out. now. 

“do we have a problem, or am i free to go?” she spouted. 

she tried to keep the steady, defiant tone to her voice, but the way it came out told her it sounded less like confidence and more like a questioning meekness. certainly not the look she was going for, or the outlook she actually held. her fingers still itched for her knives, but she knew it would be futile. one move against any of them and the other three would pounce on her. she would definitely be dead then. part of her still wanted to try. it would be worth it, if she could watch him bleed out before her, she would go happily. no one could say she hadn’t tried. she certainly wouldn’t give in to the rest so easily, they would not finish it without bruises of their own, even if they would not be as fatal. the smirk was back on his face and it was infuriating. 

“there’s no problem. in fact, it’s more of a happy gift that we chanced upon you. free to go however, you are not.”

she wanted to smack the smirk right off his face. there was no doubt in her mind now that she was going to hurt him. even if it took everything she had, she would end this stranger and take satisfaction in it. his following words however, stumped her ever so slightly. 

“why are you traveling alone? i mean it’s a wonder you’d have lasted this long, you must have some kind of skill?”

lane had expected many things, but a question that held a compliment behind it, that was certainly not one of them. it could be trickery of course. lulling her into a false sense of security before ripping it away completely. either way it was sort of comforting to hear such a tone. it had been so long since anything she’d done had been recognized for what it was. she packed a fair punch, and out of all the group she’d left back at camp, she was probably the most street smart when it came to being out here. it wasn’t her ego talking, it was just facts. the others would not have lasted as long had they not been as part of an all thinking, move as one, band of survivors. they would have crumbled and been picked off as easily as crumbs falling from bread. she was different. mainly due to the hardship she’d endured. it would be folly to say others had not gone through the same, or worse. but those she now traveled with. they did not know tragedy like she did. it had not hardened them for survival, the way it had her. and despite the overlooking it received from those at camp, it was there. that skill that out-bested them ten times over. and here was this stranger, who looked like he could have his merry band of friends, or whatever they were to each other, kill her in an instant, recognizing it without even having seen it in full action. 

her words were caught in her throat. she didn’t really know how to respond to it. how did you word something like that. you couldn’t really. she had persevered, that was really all there was to understand on her part. she didn’t nitpick the details behind how she’d done the things she’d done. she almost replied about not being alone, but only a fool would admit that so readily. after all, if they turned out to be as unsavoury as she had suspected the minute she saw the first guy, then she didn’t want to put the rest in danger. proclaiming to be alone would ensure they weren’t. for the time being anyway. as for how she’d survived, there was no point playing that down. especially if she was to make them believe that she was alone, and had been all this time. time to shine. 

“why do you travel in a group? convenience right?” she retorted. 

her brow rose as she posed the question back to him. challenging him almost. they had obviously worked well if they too had made it this long. she hated to think how they had managed it. if they were anything like the people she’d seen at home when all this had begun, then they were borderline barbaric and that was something she couldn’t quite stomach. barbaric people had been the reason she’d lost her family. they seemed to have a friendship. or at least something that could resemble one. the way they threw banter back and forth like they had earlier. lesser acquaintances would have quarreled over the conversation that had happened. it seemed strange to her, how they must work. but she didn’t knock it. clearly it had gotten them this far and that wasn’t something to just dismiss. groups were easier to survive in, if you were willing to adapt and work within a system. at least that was how the one she’d been accepted into had operated. 

the pixie looking man inclined his head ever so slightly. as if to commend her on her ability to throw a punch back. figuratively of course. the corners of her mouth almost turned up into a smile. but she caught herself just in time. still the motion didn’t go unnoticed. it was the first sign of somewhat decency that the other had displayed. her fingers didn’t itch any more. that was about as friendly as she was going to get right now. after all, they still had her surrounded. and that was not such a friendly move. 

the pixie looking man was about to say something, his mouth open, but he was interrupted. stopped before he could even begin. there was an echo of footsteps echoing through the old building. a silence fell between them. like even their breathing was suspended at the very sound of them. lane herself was holding hers. no reaction from the others pointed at the possibility of them not knowing what was approaching either. her eyes watched their movements. all four of them were shooting glances between each other, like they were communicating without even having to make a sound. she didn’t doubt that they were. her fingers slid towards the knife wrapped around her thigh. it would be the easiest to slide out if whatever was approaching, was not friendly. 

the footsteps grew louder, there was a frantic speed to them, as if whoever they belonged to, were in a rush to get to where they were currently situated. a knot of anticipation settled itself in lane’s stomach, her fingers now wrapped around the hilt of the knife. around her the four men moved, to her surprise, into a formation. one that flanked her, keeping her boxed in. and out of the way from whatever was approaching. the one called az, was to her right, the one with the soft appearance to her left. leaving cheekbones at her back and the pixie before her. all faced the stairway at the end of the hall. ears alert as they listened to them getting closer. lane didn’t know what to expect. it could be anything approaching. what she hadn’t expected was the figure that slowly emerged from the dimly lit stairwell. 

they appeared first as a shadow. just growing as they climbed and came towards them. as they neared lane couldn’t help the way her eyes widened a little. they had the same gait as the men around her. they seemed sure of themselves, un-phased by the standoffish formation they held around her. any other person approaching would have sensed the tension in the area around them, and been more cautious, hesitant in their approach. this one however, lowered the silver blades they were carrying out before them, and almost sauntered towards them. lane’s brow rose as she watched him approach. biting her lip at the way they looked. they were lean in their build, not too tall, not as tall as cheekbones or the soft one, but they had enough. there was thick biceps peeking out from under the arms of his t-shirt, despite the slim frame they held. black hair pushed back from his forehead, framed a face that could almost match that of cheekbones. as they got closer, lane could hear they were muttering under their breath. it sounded like a different language. within seconds she recognized it. they were muttering in chinese. 

“fai?” came the voice of the pixie like man. there was an edge of concern in his voice. clearly the arrival of this one was either a bad sign, or unwarranted. neither option really seemed like a positive one. her head tilted at the mention of their name. it suited them, she thought. in fact it was a name that sounded good. one that sounded good to say. even if she hadn’t actually gotten to say it herself. just hearing it was enough to know. 

the new arrival stopped their muttering and raised his eyes to meet those of the man who’d spoken. up close he looked pissed off. it was sort of hot. ‘shut the fuck up lane” she told herself, she didn’t even know this guy. and here she was only thinking about how they looked. he could be ten times worse than the men around her. 

“we have a problem.” the new arrival spoke. his voice even sounded good, lord help me, she thought. her fingers pulling away from the knife she’d been gripping. but his words were not so sweet. his eyes turned on her finally, as if he’d almost missed her even being there. a glint of something she couldn’t place shone through them, before his eyes went back to the main guy. “fallon, who’s the chick?” 

now she had a name for the pixie guy, at least she could stop referring to him as that. her face knitted into a frown however at the way the newcomer greeted her. or rather his lack thereof. it would seem all of them lacked decent manners. at least they were consistent. even if it was in being atrocious at interacting with other people. around her the others gave up on the protective formation, moving towards this fai guy instead, a harrowed look on even the soft one’s face. the one she’d discovered was actually called fallon sighed. 

“what is it?” he asked of them. 

she'd figured by now that this one was the leader of whatever the group was. he seemed like one. even the very little she'd seen of him pointed at it. from the way he spoke, to the way the others seemed to let him take the forefront when it came to dealing with her. and now with the newcomer. the newcomer must be some kind of lookout then. if the welcome he'd gotten was anything to go by, and the way he spoke.

fai slid his gaze from fallon to cheekbones, then the soft one and finally to az before he looked back to fallon. his expression was grave as he sucked on his bottom lip. as if hesitant to relay whatever had drawn him all the way in here. his eyes briefly landed on her again and lane felt her cheeks heating up at the way they rested on her. there was something not so gentle about it. like he was taking her in the way she had been him, but he wasn't hiding it. in fact the smirk that laced its way onto his lips before he looked away ensured that idea. 

her flush only lasted seconds however. the words that left him sent a chill down her spine that soaked right through to her bones. or so it felt. 

“there's a pack of roamers headed right this way” he snarled in explanation.


	3. Chapter 3

“there's a pack of roamers headed right this way”

the newcomers words ran through lane like a shiver passing through her from a sharp breeze. roamers. of all the unfortunate encounters, this had to be the worst. her initial thoughts went to her camp, and the ones that remained there. they were still quite a way from here, but the worry didn’t cease over that mild relief. it was still possible for these roamers to find their way there. lane felt the air in her throat constrict. they had to get out of here. she wanted to warn her friends, wanted to disappear into nothing. anything but face this. 

roamers were one of the numerous threats that had been the leftovers from the turmoil that had rocked through the world. one of the fiercer and most dangerous ones at that. they were not human, albeit having the human body. roamers were people who had been infected with a virus that had been leaked. but something had snapped in their genetic code. while most who came in contact with the virus had either died almost instantly, or taken a turn into the walking dead, roamers held something in their cells that worked with the virus and propelled its effects into overdrive. no longer human, those infected gained an insatiable need for blood and torture. their senses heightened, they were almost paranormal in their stature. able to move in groups or alone, in near silence and at great speeds if they felt the need. roamers had the keen smell of a predator, and razor sharp teeth that had manifested once the virus had taken over. their blood lust was for the human heart. apparently it was what they needed in order to survive and, to date, there was no shortage of casualties that filled their needs. those who came in contact with them normally did not survive such an encounter. quite frankly lane did not want to find out if there was an alternative. 

her eyes shot from one member of the men surrounding her, to the next, frantic in her motions. disbelief hanging in her that they had yet made no move to flee the house. if fai was speaking the truth, which she had no reason to believe he wasn’t, it was folly to dwindle here and push the time between the pack of roamers and them to almost nothing. 

“please tell me i’m allowed leave, i have to…” she cut off, still not wanting to mention the people at her camp. 

they all seemed to ignore her, making no attempt to let her go. instead cheekbones rolled his neck a little as if stretching in anticipation of a fight. gods, she hoped there wasn’t about to be one of those. they had time to leave right? they needed to take that, right now. fallon swore under his breath as he posed a question to fai about how far away they were. 

“about fifteen minutes, twenty if luck is on our side. they must have caught our scent on the crossroads because they’re not moving in an aimless direction.” came the reply from fai. “they’re hunting.” 

“how many are we talking?” cheekbones was speaking up this time. 

“seven.”

they were outnumbered. and horribly so. one roamer on their own was enough to wipe out three people. six? that was just suicide to even think about going up against. they couldn’t be contemplating it. were they? 

fallon sucked in a breath of contemplation, his intense eyes flickering towards cheekbones, and then back to fai. apparently weighing up the odds on how to proceed, a leader indeed thought lane. of course she was anticipating whatever it was he was going to plan. if it ended up with them, well mainly herself, surviving this then she was all for it. but her faith in this man was not at all very existent considering she didn’t even know him. her fingers were itching again to move to her knives. to have something in her hands that wasn’t just empty air and nerves. her eyes watched him anxiously, willing him to say something. anything, that would give her something to work with. 

“fai?” he finally did speak. 

“those traps we settled on 3rd street?” fallon continued, glancing at a watch on his wrist. “you and az head right there, set ‘em up to go, any of them crest the hill you let loose. no waiting to see the damage, the minute the second wave starts, get back to the corner of first, we’ll meet there. we’re out of here by ten to. waiting on stragglers won’t be happening” 

he seemed to emphasize those last words but neither fai nor az seemed phased by it. lane was still at a loss for what exactly they were about to do. traps? sure it sounded great in theory but she knew better than to believe this would be all it took to wipe six of them out. 

“charlie, you and i are taking the eastern streets, loop around to the end of second street.” 

“the scenic route” came the jubilant sounding reply of the soft looking man. 

even now with the looming threat of imminent death ahead of them, he still held a cheery smile on his lips. it caused lane to snort a little at how ridiculous the whole thing was. surviving this far or not, the feat they were about to be up against seemed like a lost cause. her own instincts were to put as much distance between herself and these roamers. if it was the scent of these men that the things were following, she had time to get away before they realized there was someone else amidst them. it was the only logical option she had. 

“yes, but don’t look so cheerful about it. we’re in for a bumpy twenty minutes.” minseok retorted with a raised brow before his gaze finally came back to rest on her. "teddy, you're on bodyguard duty. i want this one to make it back to the others in one piece. as unhurt as can be managed."

lane followed his eyes to find cheekbones nodding in acknowledgement. finally a name to match the face, another piece of their puzzle coming together.

she huffed in protest. he was partly right of course, she wasn’t about to go willingly with a random stranger to whatever end they had in mind for her. she was going to bolt at the first opportunity she got. how hard could it be if they were leaving her in the care of just one of their men. although part of her was curious about the well built man. she pushed the thought aside. distractions were not an option right now. he was one of her captives, there was no room for that kind of thinking. she was about to protest exactly this when they all began moving. fallon leading the way as they headed towards the stairs fai had just previously appeared from. her eyes moved from watching the others go, to the man who was to escort her. she could go now, but lane figured there wouldn’t be much room for losing him. maybe it was best to bite her tongue and play along for now. 

once the others had faded from view and the hallway was quiet once again, teddy finally turned his gaze on her once more. dark eyes boring right through her. 

“you heard him, as unhurt as possible, that doesn’t mean not hurt at all. pull any funny shit and i will use the means necessary to get you back.” 

his words did not shake once, but his lips held a smirk that had her dancing around the idea of testing him. don’t be stupid lane, she told herself. this was not a time for games of wit. instead she nodded once, barely so, in agreement that for now, she would be on her best behaviour. 

“what’s your name?” he followed it up with. 

“lane” she begrudgingly let go. "do you all really think you can out-best these creatures? this is a death sentence in the making" 

her blurted exclamations only drew a fading chuckle from cheekbones. frowning at the unusual reaction she began to follow him as he moved towards the stairs. watching his back turn to her as he began his descent. 

"lane? suits you i guess" he shrugged. "listen, lane, these guys know what they're doing. i know what i'm doing. death sentence for the common nomad wandering in a new place? sure. but a few years of this shit and you learn a thing or two about surviving. easiest rule? you're either cut out for it, or you die." 

almost walking into him as he pulled up to halt by the front door, she chose not to reply to that. he had a point. maybe a crazy, not exactly correct point. but still a valid one. 

"do you have any kind of weapon on you?" 

her fingers slid back to the knife strapped to her thigh, pulling it out and holding it up to which he nodded. sliding two long, silver blades from his waist. 

"alright. paths clear, as of right now. you follow in my footsteps, you keep up, and for christ's sake stay silent. i'm all for a good wild time but today the quiet life is something i look forward to getting back to. you hear the bombs lighting up, don't even flinch the wrong way. best case scenario we clear this ghost town without a hitch. worst case scenario...." 

he eyed her up and down in almost a distasteful look, causing her to let out a 'tsk'.

"...well let's just say i hope you can use those things and they're not just for show."

on that note, teddy took off out the door. his tall frame leading a path across the building's yard. lane followed, almost matching his pace but keeping a step or two just behind him. her eyes sweeped the landscape around her. the closest house was a good thirty or forty metres away where the estates began, and there was no sign of the other men who had already left. it was like they'd faded into the neighbourhood and off the radar. her steps carried her lightly. silently. they seemed to be making a beeline for the trees behind the first row of houses. it was the back route around the estates. probably the safest at this precise moments. if anything was making their way through the streets, they had a good few to make it past before they'd reach here. but it was also dense forest. she'd skirted around it on her exploration here. not liking the look of the looming trees and dark pathway that twisted through it. 

eyes looking up towards the branches as they passed beneath the eaves, lane shivered a little. she did better in open spaces or by the sea, or anywhere that wasn't within the woods. but the man before her, hesitated not as he walked confidently beneath them. following him as she'd been instructed, she almost held her breath. it was quieter within the trees. like they masked everything that was happening outside of them. she could barely even hear her own heartbeat. that was about the loudest thing here. they were making good headway along the trail. her eyes constantly sweeping back behind them and to her sides. paranoia some would have called it once upon a time. these days it was instinct. being alert. 

it felt like they'd been moving for hours but the reality was more like fifteen minutes when teddy came to a halt. her eyes focused in on his back which stood as high as her head. why had he stopped ? she hadn't heard anything. she hadn't seen any indication that something was off. was it just him taking a rest ? the tall male turned to her as her thoughts ran haywire. 

"stay here." he mouthed. "don't make a sound"

lane's eyes were wide as her head jerked in a 'what do you mean? what's wrong?' expression. 

"just do it!" came his silent reply. 

watching as he edged off the path, and into a thicker grove of trees, until his larger frame was hidden by bushes and branches alike, lane felt at a loss. this was her chance right? she could leave. she could flee right now. maybe he'd let her go. maybe he wouldn't follow. she could stay to the empty roads, make her way back along the familiar trails she knew weren't far if she could just get out of these woods. she could warn the others. 

her mind was fighting with her as she stood there. the silence deafening her as she struggled with the decision. what if she was wrong? what if he tracked her down straight away. she didn't doubt for a second he wouldn't let her get away with it. he'd been given an order, and from the way the group of men had worked, lane didn't think having one disobeyed went down well. she couldn't imagine there wasn't some kind of comeuppance for something like that. if the group worked as well as the attitude they gave off then they had to have some kind of disciplinary motto in place. 

but it was now or never. 

fingers gripping the hilt of her knife lane steadied her focus. maybe she could calm her worries about these guys enough to trust them. but it didn't justify not warning the others at her camp about the imminent danger heading their direction. she couldn't shake the idea that if they didn't hear from her, something bad was going to happen to them. throwing her weight into that thinking, she began to move. going further along the trail. her eyes watching the spot he'd disappeared into, half afraid he was going to come barging back out and catch her. but the more steps from it she got, the more her confidence began to rise. she could do this. silent and steady, and she'd be clear of the woods and these strangers. her feet carried her well, her gaze snapping back to looking forward as she picked a trail out, trying to keep her pace fast but careful. maybe the other men would actually succeed somewhat in their attempt of combat. she didn't want to jinx their chances but then again she hadn't heard any of the aforementioned bombs they'd spoken of, go off. or was that because of the trees. maybe they muffled the sound too much. 

a twig or a branch snapped to her right and lane came to a sharp halt. almost tripping herself as she held her breath. fuck! he'd found her. she hadn't been fast enough. she'd never hear the end of it. eyes closed momentarily she couldn't bring herself to look in the direction of the sound he'd made. sucking in on her bottom lip she tried to tell herself to woman up, what was the worst he could really do ? if only she could eat her thoughts. 

an almost shrill, drone sound, carried through the trees. echoing off them and surrounding her. sending a few birds who'd been nesting high in the branches, fleeing to the skies. fear soaked her entire body. a chill racing down her spine. oh gods, oh gods, oh gods. it was so much worse than being caught trying to escape. nothing quiet compared to the sheer adrenaline drop that came when faced with the sound of a tracking call. 

she'd been found. by a roamer. 

another twig snapped, now somewhere roughly behind her a couple of metres and it shook her out of her head. there was no worrying about where she was going now. she had no choice. releasing the breath she'd been holding, lane began to run. literally running for her life. behind her another one of the tracking calls sounded, this one wavering a little from movement. it was following her. a silent prayer left her as she sprinted along the track. eyes sweeping back and forth frantically as she tried not to trip over anything or run into low hanging branches. her heartbeat echoing in her ears as she fought the overwhelming want to just curl up into a ball and give up. there was no way out of this. she could keep running but eventually she'd have to stop for air. but if she stopped she was done for. this wasn't just your average evasive technique. she was being hunted. 

the trail was taking her into deeper territory. the trees getting closer together. panic edging its way into her as her route became harder to navigate. the ground beneath her feet more unstable. she'd wandered off the trail. it was gone. her eyes searched the ground around her as she dodged branches and bushes. it was gone. and her energy was slowly leaving with it. this was it. this was going to end only one way. 

a low cry left her as suddenly the ground was coming up to meet her. a sharp pain twisting it's way up her right leg as she didn't see the jagged piece of rock that was embedded within a tree root. still somehow clutching her knife, lane's arms moved out to try break her fall but she tumbled a few feet, hardened roots tearing at her arms and face as she skidded to a sore stop. groaning as she tried to push herself back up. her bruised elbows screaming in pain at the way they were bending to support her weight as she tried to maneuver herself. eyes lifting, lane's expression turned from muted anger to terror. 

it was terrifying. there was no other way to describe it. a few metres away, stood the roamer. 

hunched over ever so slightly as it watched. it's black eyes staring her down. an image that would be burned into her mind forever. it's head tilted to the left as it crept forwards. as if taunting her to try and escape again. baring it's jagged teeth, the creature smirked in that horrifying way that had fueled so many people's nightmares. 

panic flowed through her as her wide eyes stared at it. her bruised hands brushed over more stones and hard roots as she tried to push herself back. still trying to get away. it was futile but what did she have left to try. this was it. lane thought she'd have more time. that when it came to it, it would be years down the line. or that if it came to it, she'd pick when she went. if things got too hard. then again, maybe there was never going to be a worse time than how things were right now. eyes beginning to sting as the roamer inched towards her. taunting her to try and escape again. 

"n-no....n-no....no...." she repeated, shaking her head over and over as she scrambled to try and retreat.

she couldn't go like this. out here in the middle of these woods. in the middle of nowhere. at the mercy of this thing. it was such a cruel way to have your life wiped out. and yet where was the alternative ending to this? maybe it was for the best. if this thing devoured her, maybe it would leave it at that. never find the camp she'd been a part of. maybe even those godforsaken men would get out. if lives were spared maybe it wasn't such a bad thing she was here at this moment.

a sob wracked through her as her back met the solid feel of a tree trunk. hands digging into the ground at either side of her thighs as she stared at the creature. the roamer inching even closer. a low growl emitting from it's mouth as it poised to strike. raising her knife wielding arm over her face in a last attempt at self defense, a shrill cry came from the creature; mingling with her scream as it began to bound the last few metres to where she was thrown against the tree. 

but the impact never came.

instead a mangled scream sounded right in front of her. it sounded agonized and angered all at once. 

arm lowering, her heart racing in her chest, lane opened her eyes only to jump. bare inches from her face hovered that of the roamer. it's black eyes before hers, mouth open still in that horrific smirk. but it wasn't moving. instead dark blood came pouring from it's mouth. spilling down onto her thighs. her sobs started to come quicker as the warm liquid seeped into the material of her pants. bringing her gaze back up as the roamers body moved again, lane watched in shock as it was flung to the side. rolling a few feet before coming to a lifeless stop. 

impossible. it couldn't be dead. how was it dead? how could it just ? it didn't make any sense. her fight or flight instincts coming back into play, she used the tree trunk to push her back up onto her feet. taking a shaky step or two towards the creatures body her breath was short. how could such a thing happen? a pool of blood was beginning to surround it and lane's disbelief was only heightened. but as her eyes found the roamers chest, she could clearly see the point of impact. realistically she knew that now was not the time to revel over miracles. it was time to get the hell out of there. turning on her heel, lane was about to do just that, when she collided with a solid figure. about to scream again, the noise was silenced by a hand over her mouth. wide eyes looking up to find teddy standing there giving her the slightest shake of his head. 

her body jumped slightly as a string of loud explosions rang out through the forest. the bombs the others had been sent to set off? slowly teddy let go of her face as she calmed a little. the bombs would serve as a good reaction right? that was her train of thought as she caught her breath in that peaceful second. but it was a short-lived moment. 

that drone-like tracking call surrounded them. not just one. it sounded like at least three. coming from different directions on all sides of them. her eyes searched the trees, head whipping back and forth as she tried to see anything that would give away their positions. but nothing moved. just that endless drone that meant the roamers had locked onto a target. or targets in their case. almost as abrubtly as it had started, the noise silenced. an eerie empty hush falling on the woods. her gaze coming back to land on teddy, she couldn't hide the fear in hers. and it seemed like he wasn't holding up all that perfectly himself as she watched him swallow hard. reaching out, he lifted her arm that was holding her knife. taking it from her and sliding it back into it's sheath on her thigh. his hands holding the sides of her arms as the silence almost became unbearable. 

"teddy....?" she broke it; but he had the same idea as he spoke only one word in response. 

"run!"

**Author's Note:**

> xoxo kana
> 
> *steal any of my characters/world/ideas and you'll pay the price bitch.


End file.
